It's also really thin. In terms of design, it edges the Galaxy S3, feeling a touch more solid in the hand. It's a very minimalist design with just power, volume rocker and a micro USB slot (and a small hidden sim slot that you pop out just like the iPhone).

This minimalism is somewhat spoilt by the protruding camera at the back and the Beats Audio branding – but it still remains a fine looking device.

Speed

It's also fast. The One X has the fastest processor out of all of the phones here – a quad core 1.5GHz affair. IN A PHONE! The screen is also on a par with the S3 – sharp, bright and incredibly responsive.

The device runs Android 4.0, with HTC's Sense overlay. It's a decent Android skin, if a little whizz-bang and over the top in its animations. You can't help thinking naked Jelly Bean is the way to go – even if you do need to apply a custom ROM (we don't recommend this activity of course, but what's stopping you?).

Camera

Like most smartphones nowadays, the camera on the One X is very good. And some great features like burst mode, and being able to take a photo whilst simultaneously videoing is ace.

Battery life isn't as good as the S3 or Nexus – and the fact you can't swap the battery out is an annoyance.